GECs
Digital will not checkmate television anytime soon, says Madison Media’s Vikram Sakhuja
New Delhi: Despite facing a tough competition from digital, Television will continue to remain the preferred option for viewers and brands, said Madison Media and OOH, Group CEO, Vikram Sakhuja, highlighting that TV gives rise to ‘tribal moments’ which digital cannot handle.
“While penetration of digital is very high, it is difficult to get a high amount of reach in a single show. Any advertiser for reach still needs TV. By that token, reach build-up on TV will always be the preferred option,” he said while speaking to Governance Now MD Kailashnath Adhikari during the live telecast of the Visionary Talk series held by the public policy and governance analysis platform.
The industry veteran said that today digital is 30 per cent of AdEx and TV is close to 40 per cent. Within digital, video which really threatens TV is only 5 per cent of Ad Ex and forms a very small part.
Secondly, Sakhuja said that TV gives rise to ‘tribal moments’. He gave the example of live sports and said if people can watch it on big screen TV at night, why would they watch it on the phone when they are at home at night. “These are tribal moments very difficult for digital to handle,” he said. “Digital has to come out with its tribal moments for advertising to really see if it has checkmated TV. Digital is a very powerful force but has it checkmated TV? Absolutely not.”
According to Sakhuja, YouTube will form the base of the video plan in near future and the share of OTT will go up. “With agencies and marketers getting evolved in their video planning more OTT’s will supplement YouTube,” he said, adding that lack of verified data on OTT is a drawback but most responsible agencies are doing seamless TV and video planning.
Responding to the question, if Ad Ex will rebound to pre-pandemic 2019 levels, the advertising veteran said, “At present, we stand on a good level versus the first half of 2019. The second half will depend on if a third wave will happen or if there will be another disruption. If everything goes well our estimates will hold good. I am writing off estimates yet.”
GECs
Asianet Television Awards 2026 celebrates women power in Malayalam TV
“She is the Colour” theme honours icons as ceremony airs on March 14 and 15 at 7 PM.
MUMBAI: If television lights up living rooms, this year Asianet decided to let women provide the colour. The Asianet Television Awards 2026 turned the spotlight firmly on women empowerment with the theme “She is the Colour”, celebrating the strength, resilience and achievements of women who continue to shape society and the Malayalam entertainment industry.
The ceremony honoured several distinguished personalities whose journeys have left a lasting cultural imprint. Among them was legendary playback singer Vimala Varma, widely recognised as the first Malayalam playback singer. The evening also paid tribute to Padma Shri awardees Devaki Amma and Vimala Menon for their exceptional contributions in their respective fields.
Leading women from the Malayalam film industry were also recognised during the event, including actor Shweta Menon, who currently serves as president of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists, and National Award winning actor Surabhi Lakshmi.
The awards ceremony brought together a glittering lineup of actors and industry figures, including Jayasurya, Vijay Babu, Asha Sarath, Lena, Esther Anil, Anumol, Akhila Bhargavan, Sarayu Mohan, Prajod Kalabhavan, Gayathri Suresh, Sabumon Abdusamad, Swasika, Tini Tom, Sijoy Varghese, Kailash, Veena Nandakumar, Sabareesh Varma, Ansiba Hassan and Dinesh Prabhakar. Kishan Kumar, executive vice president Malayalam at JioStar, was also present at the event.
Beyond individual recognitions, the awards celebrated excellence across Malayalam television, acknowledging artists and technicians whose work continues to drive the industry forward.
The evening also offered plenty of spectacle, with elaborate dance performances, stunt acts and comedy skits performed by popular television and film personalities, turning the ceremony into a full fledged entertainment showcase.
Viewers will get to watch the celebrations when the Asianet Television Awards 2026 air on Asianet on March 14 and 15, Saturday and Sunday, from 7 pm onwards, bringing the star studded tribute to homes across Kerala and beyond.
